By Michael Uugwanga
One of the country’s strongest netball regions, Erongo, officially kicked off its new regional league this past weekend, with former MTC Namibian Netball Premier League sides Eleven Arrows and Blue Waters both recording dominant victories over their opponents in the Erongo Netball Association League.
Eleven Arrows outclassed Dolphine 64-4 on 30 May at the Kuisebmund Stadium, while Blue Waters secured a convincing 62-10 victory over Dolphine Black on the same day.
The Erongo Netball Association League consists of seven clubs, with the winner earning a place in the MTC Namibian Netball Premier League regional play-offs for promotion to the country’s top tier netball league next season.
Arrows were relegated from the premier league in 2024, while Blue Waters dropped down to the regional league in 2023.
Defending league champions Blue Girls also started the new season strongly with a 35-26 win over Young Eleven on the opening day.
Blue Girls did not participate in the MTC Namibian Netball Premier League playoffs in March due to a miscommunication between the Erongo Netball Association and Netball Namibia regarding the club’s participation.
After the opening round of fixtures, Arrows top the standings with two points, followed by Blue Waters in second place, also on two points.
Defending champions Blue Girls are third on two points, while Dolphine occupy fourth place after defeating Young Birds 28-20.
Chairperson of the Erongo Netball Association, Foxy Afrikaner, said the league is working towards expanding the competition to other parts of the Erongo region.
Currently, most participating clubs are from Walvis Bay, while two are based in Swakopmund. Afrikaner said plans are underway to include inland towns such as Karibib, Usakos and Omaruru.
“There has been steady growth in Erongo netball. With more sponsorship and visibility, we are optimistic that there will be more improvements,” Afrikaner said.
He added that the winning team will receive N$5 000, while the runners-up will earn N$3 000 and the third placed side N$2 000.
Afrikaner also highlighted the financial challenges facing the association, saying the league currently depends solely on club registration fees due to a lack of sponsorship funding.
“The window to register players is still open,” he added.
Erongo currently has only one club competing in the MTC Namibian Netball Premier League, namely Navy Netball Club from Walvis Bay, which has struggled in the top flight league.
